


Puppy Love

by coolangelsthesis



Category: DRAMAtical Murder
Genre: Dogs, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Literally so much damn fluff take an insulin shot, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-16
Updated: 2016-04-16
Packaged: 2018-06-02 12:25:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6566110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coolangelsthesis/pseuds/coolangelsthesis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mink should have been expecting this. Sooner or later, something along the lines of this would have happened.</p><p>But he didn’t expect it to happen like <i>this</i>.</p><p>He knew it was inevitable that one day Aoba would come back from a walk with some scrawny robin that fell from the nest too early or a scared and trembling rabbit, heart still racing because it felt predators on its tail. Like the stalwart man he was, Aoba would nurse the creature back to health— on his own, if need be— until they were fit for the wild again.</p><p>However, Mink wasn’t expecting that rescue animal to be a huge hulk of a dog— a matted, smelly, slobbering hulk of a dog, with a limp in its stride.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Puppy Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DramaticalHearts (dancingwithdestiny)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancingwithdestiny/gifts).



> A (belated, wah i hate finals) BIRTHDAY GIFT FOR LAUREN. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Some minaos are the least I can do for you when you are so kind and so sweet. I am so glad that I met you, you've helped me in so many ways-- letting me talk about things with you, helping with my writing, and just being there. <3

Mink should have been expecting this. Sooner or later, something along the lines of this would have happened.

But he didn’t expect it to happen like _this_.

He knew it was inevitable that one day Aoba would come back from a walk with some scrawny robin that fell from the nest too early or a scared and trembling rabbit, heart still racing because it felt predators on its tail. Like the stalwart man he was, Aoba would nurse the creature back to health— on his own, if need be— until they were fit for the wild again.

However, Mink wasn’t expecting that rescue animal to be a huge hulk of a dog— a matted, smelly, slobbering hulk of a dog, with a limp in its stride.

“We are not keeping it,” Mink sighed. “A dog like that will cause problems.”

“She won’t!” Aoba refuted, kneeling back down to the dog’s side. Its tail thumped against the patio as he scratched behind its long, pointed ears. “What if she has owners, and they’ve been looking for her? She could be lost for all we know. And we can’t just let her stay out in the cold! There are rattlesnakes out there, she could get bitten.”

Again Mink sighed, but Aoba was resilient.

“Come on, Mink! How can you say no to such a cute face?” He ruffled up the dog’s chest, bringing up a cloud of dust around them. Coughing up dirt, he brought his face close to the dog’s, the two of them staring up at Mink like pleading siblings. Aoba’s expression matched the poor, puppy-eyed look of the mongrel, and if he was any more canine he’d be panting right alongside the slobbering pup. “Can we keep her, just until we find her owners? _Please_?”

Well, if Aoba was so eager to keep the thing, maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. For just a little while.

“…Do as you wish. But that thing isn’t coming inside until it has a bath.”

Aoba’s eyes went wide, like moons. Or silver food dishes. “Really?! Thank you, Mink!”

He hopped onto his feet, and the dog came along with him, its tail shaking erratically as it stared up at him. “Well, firsts things first, she should have a nice bath, then a haircut, maybe… did you hear that, girl? Mink says you can stay with us! And I’m sure he’ll warm up to you in no time. No— I _promise_ you that!”

Mink pretended to ignore that last part, and watched on as Aoba ushered the mangy dog towards their garden. He was not keen on keeping a dog. Their two Allmates were more than enough, but… when he saw Aoba grinning and laughing, seeing him so ecstatic about taking care of a pet, there was no possible way for him to say no. Aoba saw something special in that dog underneath all its dirt and matted hair, what that was, however, Mink couldn’t tell. But maybe, he would find it—

Suddenly, Aoba rushed back into view, panting slightly, his white T-shirt already drenched in water. It was a nice look for him.

“I forgot shampoo!” He wiped the back of his hand across his forehead and laughed, without a care in the world. “Do you want to help bathe her?”

Mink wavered, then nodded.

*

The dog was Aoba’s, Mink reminded himself as he rubbed a towel down its neck. It looked almost halfway decent after a bath— and Aoba had chosen his favorite shampoo for the thing, one that smelled like honey and lemons. The dog was Aoba’s, and he was already helping take care of the thing.

It appeared to be a mix of a Border Collie and a German Shepherd; it had the face of a German but the build and the fluffy fur of a Collie. The coat was mostly brown-black, save for a few white splotches on its back and its chest, and a lighter chestnut on the face and ears. Its ears still stuck ramrod straight, and its eyes, a deep, rich chocolate brown, could stare deep into your heart. That’s probably what attracted Aoba in the first place; the dog must have stared straight at him and that look made him fall for the mutt immediately.

“Doesn’t it kind of look like she’s a pilot?” Aoba asked, gesturing by running his hand over the dog’s forehead. The dog licked his cheek and he laughed. “It looks like she’s got an aviator cap on. Should we name her Amelia… uh, wait, no, n-not that… maybe—”

“We should leave naming for later,” Mink replied. “It may have owners and a name already. Did you find a name tag?”

“Ah, yeah, that’s true. And no, I didn’t. It could have fallen off somewhere, though… but you’re right, we should name her later. A bath is good enough for now.”

Aoba finished up toweling off excess water from the dog’s coat, then let it loose from the makeshift rope collar they’d made to keep it in place. Once free, the mutt pawed at the ground underneath it, then whipped its body back and forth vigorously, spraying both Mink and Aoba in a sheen of bath water.

Aoba stared at Mink for a second, long enough for a water droplet to fall off his bangs, then he broke out into a fit of laughter. He doubled over, with hands on his stomach, gasping for breath.

“I’m… ahaha… sorry! You… you look r-really… gn-ahahaha!”

Mink couldn’t even be upset when Aoba looked so happy. He lifted the corner of his mouth in a small smile and ran his fingers through his now-damp hair.

“Suppose we should shower, too.”

*

For being a mutt, the dog was pretty well trained. It knew how to sit and how to lie down already—which made Mink lead to believe it really wasn’t just some stray, that it had owners and they were searching for the thing. Aoba left ‘MISSING DOG’ signs along the fronts of stores in nearby towns, but after a couple months of silence, they figured nobody was going to claim their lost dog.

Out of his better judgment, Mink decided to let Aoba keep the dog— but only under certain conditions.

“Don’t let it onto the couch,” he said. “The floor is perfectly fine.”

The dog at his feet drooped its head slightly, slinking to the ground and resting its head between its paws, like the thing knew what he was saying. Aoba had really decked out the cabin for the dog— one of the extra blankets for the winter had shifted into a dog bed. A large bag of kibble slumped behind the front door, double sealed so the mutt couldn’t get in. Old toys and other tiny trinkets Aoba found while scouring thrift shops scattered the ground. The dog’s favorite, a large bumble bee plush constantly laid at its side.

Aoba held onto his Allmate tighter and sighed, becoming as sullen as the real pup. “Alright. And what else?”

“No more feeding it scraps.”

“B-But—!”

“You only pamper it because your Allmate can’t eat. It’s a waste of food.”

“Not if it’s the pieces we’d just throw away, anyway! You just don’t want me to spoil her, isn’t that right? And Ren can eat just fine!” He nudged at his Allmate. “Hey, can’t you, Ren?”

Ren lowered his head with a pained groan. “Technically, Allmates aren’t supposed to have food. We do not have the proper digestive systems to absorb nutrients from ‘real’ food. So it is also wasting food.”

“Oh…” If Aoba had dog ears, or a tail, they’d be pulled downwards by now. “But you like her, you like our dog, don’t you!?”

“While I cannot communicate with non-mechanical animals, having her around is enjoyable.” Ren nuzzled Aoba on the cheek, trying to cheer him up. “But Mink-san does have a point about the couch. Dogs shed lots of hair, which can get stuck in the furniture.”

“I guess that’s true…”

Aoba perked up immediately, his frown morphing into a smile. The dog must have sensed the sudden change in atmosphere; it rose to its paws, tail wagging happily as it stared up at Aoba.

“But does this mean that you’re okay with keeping her?”

Mink didn’t even get a second to react before Aoba’s arms were around him in a hug. The dog barked and jumped to its hind feet, trying as it might to get a part of it. Shoulders jerking, Aoba broke out into laughter and wrapped an arm around the dog, as well.

Mink exhaled a short, amused sigh and pressed his lips to the top of Aoba’s head.

Hesitantly, he extended his hand out and scratched the dog behind one of her ears. The dog cocked its head and leaned in to his palm, eyes closed in bliss. Aoba giggled and scratched behind her other ear.

“I think you secretly like her,” he teased, smirking. “You do, don’t you?”

Mink stayed quiet— but he didn’t say no.

*

The dog was Aoba’s, Mink reminded himself while tugging on his coat. The sun had just started to rise, had just started to paint the sky a golden pink, and the mornings were notoriously cold. The dog was Aoba’s, he repeated as he looped a slender leash to the dog’s bright pink collar (that Aoba beaded himself, giving it an extra “loving touch,” he’d said.)

The dog was Aoba’s, but he was gone for the day, having told Mink he wanted to do the grocery shopping by himself for once. Usually Mink would spend these days alone reading or working on beading, but now they had a slobbering pup who needed at least two walks a day so it wouldn’t be overly rambunctious.

“Come,” he ushered, and the dog sprang to life and practically leaped towards the front door. He took a step outside, tugging on the leash to make her heel—

But the dog wouldn’t budge. She remained sitting in the threshold of the door, staring blankly ahead, panting heavily.

Mink let out a sharp sigh, his breath hanging around his face in a mist.

It was too cold for any domestic dog to even consider going outside. The frost on the earth would stick to its paws and it would head back home as soon as a cold breeze crept through her pelt.

Later, then, when the sun had time to warm the grass. For now, Mink decided to go back inside to brew a pot of coffee and read. The dog would start to whine once it was in the mood to go out, anyway. He undid the dog’s collar and pulled off his coat.

Unceremoniously, he moved towards the kitchen, when something warm drifted past his nose. Sitting out on the counter was a couple of leftover apple cinnamon muffins, Aoba’s experiment from last night. He was getting remarkably good, and knew to make just enough extra for the two of them combined.  
Mink grabbed one, then started preparing coffee.

As he emptied out yesterday’s grounds to be used for compost, he felt something soft hitting against the side of his leg. He glanced down and saw the dog staring up at him, wide eyed, pleading. She whimpered softly and stared at the muffin sitting there on the counter, practically mocking the thing. It even tried to appease Mink by sitting.

He let out a small sigh and turned back to filling the carafe with tap water.

A couple seconds passed and the whining returned, this time even louder. The dog brushed her wet nose against Mink’s leg and pawed at him. And he ignored her still. Dogs weren’t meant to have sweets.

He told himself that, but sooner or later he found himself grabbing another muffin and pulling it into small chunks, offering one to the dog here and there. She _really_ liked it, even licked at Mink’s fingers, involuntarily tickling him. His mouth turned upwards in a faint smile; he kneeled down and started running his hands through her fur, scratching behind her ears.

Maybe… having a dog wasn’t so bad afterall. Aoba loved her like she was their child, anyway. Maybe, just maybe, Mink could open up his heart, accept another member of their family that would walk through this life with them.

The dog moved her large head forward and planted a slobbery, wet kiss on Mink’s cheek, his kneejerk reaction to wince and pull away.  
But the dog was persistent. She licked his cheeks again, and again, attacking Mink with love and affection. Otherwise helpless to her, Mink chuckled softly and pulled himself away from the dog. She remained staring up at him, panting happily, smiling as if she was a human being.

… She was a cute dog, Mink had to admit that. And he did see what Aoba liked about her; she was gentle and affectionate, never once tried to attack at them or their Allmates, and even strode along before Mink and Aoba, on the watch for snakes when they went walking.

Maybe she wasn’t just Aoba’s dog— no, Mink knew better than that. She had never just been Aoba’s dog.  
She was Mink’s dog, too.

*

Aoba stepped up to the front of their house, lugging several bags of food in his hands, vegetables and fruits threatening to spill out at any second. He set them down at the front of the door and sighed with relief, rubbing his sore forearms.

“Man, if only stores weren’t so far away,” he mumbled to himself, taking great detail to also massage his back. “Then going to the store wouldn’t have to be so hard… Oww…”

He pulled the house key out of his pocket and undid the latches on the large wooden door. He reached down, grabbed as many of the paper bags as he could muster, and kneed the door open.

“Mink?” he called out, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the dark glow of their cabin. “Do you think you can help me grab some of these—huh?”

He hung onto his words mid-sentence, stunned by what was laid out right in front of him.

Mink was sitting on their couch, reading as he usually did on his free afternoons. No, it wasn’t the glasses, or the lines of concentration accentuating the details of his face that made his heart go pitter-patter… it was what was sitting there next to him.

Their dog, eyes closed peacefully, off into a deep sleep. When Mink’s hand wasn’t turning the pages of his book, it was on her back, petting her in slow, tender movements.

Aoba’s heart felt like it was about to burst right out of his chest. Butterflies did turns and twists in the pit of his stomach.  
He always knew Mink would open up to her eventually. It just took time.  
And man, was he right.

Mink glanced up from his book, and their dog pulled herself out of her nap. Aoba could see a look of surprise flash over his features and dither away in the matter of a half-second.

“I’m home,” he started, setting the bulk of bags down near the coffee table. He knelt down and scratched behind the dog’s ears; he turned to Mink, smiling wide. “I see you’ve taken a liking to someone, haven’t you?”

He _swore_ he could see Mink’s cheeks turning a dusty pink. Mink sighed softly and closed his book, setting his glasses down on the hardcover.

“I told you you’d like her,” Aoba said, teasing. “I guess I just needed to leave you two alone for a day and you’d become best friends. And what about those rules and not letting the dog onto the couch?”

“She is your dog,” Mink retorted. _She_. That was the first time Aoba had ever heard him call their dog something other than _it, that mongrel,_ or _your dog._ “She climbed up here and seemed comfortable, so I let her stay.”

“I told you she’s a good dog, didn’t I? So does this mean we can get rid of that silly rule?”

“…Yeah.”

“And the one about feeding her scraps?”

Mink’s eyebrows narrowed into a sharp frown. “No.”

“Don’t be mean!” Aoba whined. “What about just the things we would throw out? The stuff left on the bones? Old food?”

“That would make her sick.” He paused. “Fine. Every once in a while.”

“Thank you, Mink.” Aoba giggled softly, feeling victorious. He kissed Mink on the cheek and grabbed the bags of groceries, heading for their kitchen.

“… Wait, did you feed her a muffin, too?!”

*

Even after months with their dog, neither of them could come up with a reasonable name for her. Aoba would settle on something for a day or two, but after a while he’d lose interest and switch that name out for something different. He wanted the _perfect_ name for her, but nothing either of them came up with felt satisfactory enough.

And calling her just “their dog” had started to lose its special touch.

Aoba dropped down to his knees and pulled at a carrot with all his strength. Pulling it free from the earth, he brushed off the excess dirt and handed it to Mink. He leaned back, letting his hair catch a stray breeze, cooling him down from the warm summer sun pelting down on them. Their dog was laid out on her back, drinking in the sun’s warmth.

“What about Orange?”

Mink narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Huh?”

“Orange, for a name. For our dog.” He nodded towards the pup, now chasing after mosquitos who dared to move in too close. “What if we called her Orange?”

“That’s an awful name. She isn’t even orange.”

“She is too! In the right light she looks all golden and orange. Do you really not like that name?”

“Well… there are much better names out there.”

“Like what?”

Mink went quiet for a moment, his eyes drawn down to the ground, a perplexed look across his face. After a moment he turned back to Aoba.

“What about Megumi?”

Aoba cocked his head. “Megumi? Like…”

“A blessing. Like you.” Mink closed his eyes and exhaled sharply. “You two are similar. You appeared here and stubbornly made your way in. You never gave up. And for that…”

He opened his eyes again, lips upturned in a genuine smile. “It is truly a blessing.”

Aoba stopped what he was doing, letting the tiny handheld shovel he was working at the ground fall. So that’s how Mink truly felt about her. His throat hardened and his eyes started to sting. He blinked away tears and nodded over and over again, lunging forward to wrap Mink in a hug.

“Megumi… that’s perfect.”

He broke out of their hug and whistled, catching their dog’s attention. She barked happily, lunging forwards towards them.

“Hey girl! Megumi! Your name’s Megumi now— ahh!”

Megumi tackled Aoba and pinned him down to the ground, licking his face all over without any stopping. He broke into a laugh and tried to wrestle her off, tried to save himself from her endless kisses. Mink chuckled and tried to garter her attention for a brief moment, to give Aoba a chance to save himself. Taking the opportunity, Aoba lunged forward and pinned her in his arms, hugging their dog close to his chest, kissing her on her long snout.

 _Yeah_ , Mink thought, running a hand over Megumi’s exposed stomach, _this truly was a blessing_.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading :') I've never written minao before-- I hope I did Mink justice! Comments are always greatly appreciated if ya liked it <3


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